A Big Win – Business Engagement Employer Award

It was a night to celebrate as the college won Business Engagement, Employer Award – HE/FE Sector at the Educate North Awards.  

The Awards evening, which was held at the Hilton in Manchester, on 18^th April was a celebration of over 400 educational professionals, recognising excellence in the education sector in the North.  

College Principal, Anna Dawe said: “Winning this award is testament to the hard work the college has put into addressing the region’s skills needs and working with our employer partners to meet their needs too.  

“We have invested significantly in our facilities and we have worked together with our employer partners to create bespoke courses, providing opportunities for their workforce to upskill.” 

The college has forged strong relationships with over 750 employers which has resulted in a 74% increase in employer-led apprenticeship standards while other providers have seen a reduction.  

The strong links have also seen 98.9% of apprentices progress into employment and 36% of current apprentices come from deprived areas.  

Key sectors including food manufacturing, engineering, power and nuclear have been at the forefront of the college’s collaborative approach to securing a talent pipeline.  

In food manufacturing, the college partnered with Kraft Heinz and the National Skills Academy Food and Drink (NSAFD) to co-design a curriculum that has seen 48 engineers to gain new skills in electrical and mechanical maintenance making them more skilled and effective for the company.  

This was proceeded by the ground-breaking traineeship with KraftHeinz and Wigan Council for ten care leavers who became trainee’s gaining food safety qualifications, pre-requisite for securing employment, and 180-hours work experience.